Marijuana is already legal in Washington state and Colorado, as long as it’s an ounce or less and the person who has it is at least 21 years old. But is one ounce good enough for Canadians? How about four ounces?

“We feel Washington’s one ounce limit may create unnecessary, ongoing enforcement requirements and restrict people growing their own for personal use—where one plant may yield more than an ounce of product,” the draft paper states.

“In this light we recommend a four ounce (.10 kg) limitation be considered for the amount a non-licensed vendor or distributor can purchase or possess without obtaining a special permit, subject to consultation with consumers, distributors, law enforcement and producers. We feel this is reasonable and akin to purchasing a 40 or 60 oz. bottle of vodka or whisky a couple times a year instead of buying a small bottle each month.”

The paper’s authors cite statistics indicating that regular users of marijuana in Canada use an average of one gram a day, or one ounce (28 grams) per month.

They likewise point to the need to establish other limits for cannabis-infused goods, plants for personal use, and marijuana in liquid form. They note that Washington has possession limits of 16 ounces (0.45 kilograms) for cannabis-infused goods and 72 ounces (2.4 kilograms) for cannabis in liquid form.

Citing 2005 figures compiled by the United Nations, the authors note that Canada’s cannabis consumption rate is “one of the highest in the world” at 17 percent of the population aged 15 to 64. That’s higher than Asia (two percent), Europe (five percent), and the U.S. (12 percent). “This translates to 3 million Canadians using marijuana each year,” the authors write.

Released this month, the paper was scheduled to be presented to the public on January 23 at SFU Harbour Centre.

“Once we legalize, then we can regulate the product,” coauthor Sangeeta Lalli told the Straight in a phone interview. “We can regulate the use and safety. And I think that’s important for all Canadians.”

POLL

How much marijuana should Canadians be allowed to have in their possession?

ANON

kevin

Jan 24, 2013 at 4:42am

this guy is not a MMAR patient. so an idiot like him cant be deciding how much medicine were aloud to grow. and the real name is Cannabis no Marijuana. medical users and regular users use more than 4 ounces a day depending on the person and license. let us grow as much as we want. we are treating our illnesses with cannabis,... and we dont need your drunk pill popping political, opinions on any of it!. butt out ..

It has been a serious struggle in my case for over 20 years for this and getting the new leader on board still needs doing
It you want legal cannabis please get involved and actually help with the heavy lifting

dave19

Camarijuana2016

Jan 24, 2013 at 5:21pm

Need limits for Dried, live plants, edibles, liquid. Hey Kevin, 4 ounces a day!!! That's 112 grams, average joint is between .5 and 1 gram. That's between 112 and 224 joints a day or 4 to 9 joints every hour for 24 hours. If that's what a MMAR patient needs a day, it's not providing the correct medical relief.
A Person should be allowed, to a maximum, a combination at any one time: 6 plants, 4 oz dry, 1oz equivalency of edibles (example: 1oz dry for a batch of brownies, cookies etc), and 6 grams of liquid/oil/solid. Sales or distribution requires a permit. Commercial production above the individual limits also requires a permit and must follow the Canadian Food Inspection Agency regulations. Wine lovers are allowed unlimited number of different types of wine, why wouldn't cannassoirs be allowed a variety of strains. Each strain offers its own unique smells, flavors, effects, as well as different reliefs for specific medical conditions.

alanjavis

Jan 26, 2013 at 11:41am

Marijuana laws
If marijuana had been legal in Canada (BC) and the police forces in BC didn't need to waste so much of their time on marijuana related laws, perhaps, just maybe they could have caught Robert Pickton (BC serial killer that murdered nearly 50 women in BC) that much sooner. The time and money lost and wasted in, court, policing, and prison in the pursuit of marijuana prohibition is insane. There is no longer any reasonable or logical argument to continue along this path of prohibition. Large money would be available to government in regulating and taxing marijuana like alcohol, making marijuana safer and much harder for those under 19 to get their hands on. (Not to mention taking that much or more money away from the gangs, criminals and organized crime across the country, also making Canada that much safer). Those that still want to continue down this road of prohibition are truly dinosaurs and Canadians need to exterminate them, we can no longer wait for them to become extinct. Leaders like Steven Harpers and his new laws will only further to cause our country, more full courts, more full prisons and more unnecessary financial hardship. We cannot afford any more leaders that continue to take this old and unwarranted stance. Marijuana users are not social problem people and marijuana medical benefits are many and well documented. Now is the time to talk to your family, friends and neighbors and help end this prohibition of marijuana for good.
Please copy this letter and pass it on.